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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Getting a late start to listening/responding to all the fantastic music. Thank you in advance to those that've acknowledged my little submission - I will start reading through the threads, time permitting. Thank you, again to Monica and all the folks that coordinate the efforts to make these e-citals possible.

01. Andy Platt - Invention in E Major Very steady, calming tempo and a very thoughtful delivery. So often, Bach is played too fast. Your tempo gives pause and great space to explore your expression of the voices. Very great work, Andy!

02. Diana (sinophilia) - This and That I liked the the bluesy feel you gave to the tune. Sounded to me like you had a lot of fun playing this one.

03. Greener | Jeff Green - Waltz in C# Minor, Opus 64 No. 2 Great work, Jeff. You managed to control yourself with this, as there are parts that can go astray without the excellent concentration you gave to it. This one's a keeper and I look forward to hearing it again a few years down the road, after it's matured under your fingers. I really enjoyed this.

04. dannylux / Mel - Azarashvili Nocturne What a pretty piece of music you chose! Your natural pauses at the right times adds so much to the beautiful chord changes and sensitive control over the dynamics. Thank you!

05. MaryBee - Three Sinfonias You controlled the voices very well to allow the music to unfold under your fingers.

06. wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b Your first notes always grab me - the approach to the keyboard is done perfectly. For me, your use of pedal seemed appropriate and done with restraint. You brought out the beautiful melody so that it stood above the wonderful left hand harmonies. Very good flow throughout with excellent dynamics. Beautifully played, Wouter! (Excellent recording, as always).

Thanks CMohr for your very nice words! Are you pointing to that discussion about the first note that we had some years ago ? But the first notes are important as ever so I'm glad you like them!

Originally Posted by Mr Super-Hunky

06. wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b This is a nice piece Wouter and I can tell the attention you put into the volume changes. My 'critique" would be that the first note of most bars in this piece sounded just a bit 'stabbing' to me. Possibly a bit overemphasized. I'm not sure, it's just the way I hear it. Overall, very nice.

Thanks for the compliments! Ah yes, fair point, I had to drill in some accents that Mendelssohn put on the first note of a few descending lines. And yes I can imagine it sometimes is perceived a bit stabbing. Maybe I'm overdoing the accent; I'm not sure if I can reach the same volume with a less stabbing sound but I will have my ears open to watch for this.

06. wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b Sounds just totally awesome. There are those echo phrases in here that when done right touch the heart directly and they were perfect. I agree with the choice of pedal; I think it needs the warmth it gives the piece and I suspect you are spot on about the piano he would have used. I think the tempo was convincing - any faster would have been a mess but you don't let it become maudlin. Wonderful!

Wow thanks!

Originally Posted by SAnnM AB-2001

06. wouter79 - Andante con moto, first part of Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op. 19b This is a beautiful. I love Mendelssohn and hope to learn this maybe next. You did a wonderful job. Those left hand arppegios make it a very difficult piece to play! Nice job!!

Thank you for your nice compliments! Yes the arpeggios are difficult because they are split over left and right hand, because there is both a bass melody and treble melody as well that is just in reach for the pinky of both hands :-P

Not lost, just out cooling off. Nobody would want to hear comments from someone in the frame of mind I was in after this morning's fiasco. Appologies to the folks in this batch....these comments are from my foggy memory.

18. Mr Super- Hunky - Rain (Cover) Always amazed at the talent you have to be able to put these things together from scratch. With all the pictures you have posted over the years I usually have some specific images in my head while listening to your submissions, Mr. S-H. Was that a llama poking its head through the front window?

19. Earlofmar - Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 116) In the words of the immortal Radar O'Reilly "ah, Bach." Nice job shaping the phrases and maintaining forward momentum. I like a bit more emphasis to bring out the left hand melody, but that is just nitpicking. Solid work, especially for less than a year playing and possibly(?) your first Bach piece.

20. patH / Patrick Hollstein - Der tanzende Schwan (The dancing swan) Patrick, I lost a long glowing recap of my enjoyment of your composition. Bottom line was I thought it was great.

21. aTallGuyNH - New York State of Mind (intro only) Good job so far, TallGuy. Can't wait to hear the rest at the next recital..this is the kind of song you can improve on for a lifetime. The piano and venue sound terrific, so I hope you can get back there for future recording sessions.

22. PikaPianist - Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, Gb major Another long glowing review lost. This is one of my favorite Schubert's too. I listen to a recording of it by Horowitz almost weekly. You are so incredibly talented to play this at such a high level. I couldn't hear any of the errors and thought this performance could have passed as a professional recording. Played with great sensitivity, and it felt like you really understood the structure of the piece and where you wanted it to go. Bravo!!

23. Serge88 - Manha de Carnaval I wouldn't practice either if I could play it like that at the drop of a hat. Playing to an accompanying track does sound like fun

24. Anne H - Julia arr. by Phillip Keveren Nice job on what sounds like a very difficult arrangement, Anne H. Loved the lush arpeggios and the rolled chords. Your piano works well with this music.

25. Dumik - Chopin nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 You are obviously very talented to be able to take on a Chopin Nocturne after only 6 months of piano study. I've read your earlier messages and appreciate your determination. You may find over time there are many pieces you've never heard of, but that you would find beautiful, that you could really master and learn a lot from. Great job on this Chopin.

26. dynamobt/ Marilyn - The Seasons, June Sounds almost like Tchaikovsky wrote it just for that beautiful M&H bass. Really liked your dynamic changes, particularly the last 30 seconds or so. Lovely melodic line. Thanks for sharing this with us, as I don't think I've ever listened to it as a piano solo before.

27. jotur/Cathy Turner - Shine On Harvest Moon Really enjoyed your Harvest Moon, Cathy, and could picture you in front of a bunch of smiling seniors. I'll bet they break into song at "shine on..." just like I did.

28. ClavBoy - Minuet in D minor Nice job, ClavBoy. Not sure if I've ever listened to anything by Leopold M, so glad you chose this piece. I Think it is better without pedal anyway. Liked the places where you brought out the left hand melody.

29. (Was) TrueBeginner - Childhood Memories Nice and steady left hand with a pretty melody. Sort of a new-age feel to it. Very creative. Oh, and I love your piano blanket!

30. daveindenton - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Outside of weddings I don't think I've been in a church in decades, and I sure don't remember anything as musical and snappy as this beautiful hymn, Dave. Maybe if you had been our church pianist I wouldn't be such a heathen. Very enjoyable performance.

31. yester Nice job on this little prelude, which I called the "the little xxxxer" (insert favorite epithet) because it was sooooo much harder than it looked. You stayed nice and even and kept it moving forward.

32. Alan W. Those of us who don't play video games never get to hear what is clearly some beautifully crafted music. Your excellent performance could just as well have been at the BlueNote in NYC. A great jazz sound played with great sensitivity. Thanks for introducing me to this piece.

Thanks Aimee - but, what were those other expectations you had as a drinker?

Well, not knowing the story, I was expecting a rousing drinking song, where the whole bar gets riled up - rather celebratory. As far as "Can You Hear the People Sing?," this song occurs the following morning, the people are still drunkenly celebratory(like the revolution has been won or something), and your head hurts and you do wish they would pipe down already.

Well, there was a lot of noise on the following morning, but it was not celebratory (at least not on the part of the students) - it was the sound of muskets and cannon and the screams of the dying...

Every difficulty slurred over will be a ghost to disturb your repose later on. Frederic Chopin

33. CMohr You gotta love a well-played standard like this one. I could hear Ella getting ready to chime in at any moment. Very enjoyable performance.

34. stumbler I thought your dynamics were terrific and was most impressed with how you could bring down those left hand chords while executing a long decrescendo in the right, yet still have the melody sing. And the rhythm sounded like there were lots of tricky bits. You have a nice feel for this music and a beautiful touch.

35. TrapperJohn Good job bringing out the different emotions in each part of your medley, Trapper. I saw the movie a long time ago and your playing immediately brought back to mind scenes from the barricades. Thanks for taking the time to add all the detail and lyrics.

36. timmyab I am currently working on the second movement of K545 myself and will be more than delighted if I ever play half as well as this performance. I really liked the shape you gave some of the phrases. And, oh my, those runs and little ornamental bits in the first movement were very nice. It's true Mozart leaves us no place to hide, but you have no need to seek shelter. Great job putting together a whole sonata.

17. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Em - oooh, this is luscious. From your title at first I though you dedicated this to E minor! I didn't detect any mistakes, perhaps because it's jazz - a series of mistakes that sounds really cool together! So nice!

18. Mr Super- Hunky - Rain (Cover) - FOAM, I think that pretty much describes what you do. I'm not familiar with the original, but I can imagine that you pulled out some FOAM-AMIMO on this one (figure out and memorize - and make it my own). Nicely done, very nice!

19. Earlofmar - Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 116) - very well done with this one in your short time on piano! - I have never been brave enough to try and record the repeats! (comment on you tube as well)

I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and comment, your encouragement has been invaluable to me.

There have been a few comments about the Piano sound, this is the Roland Supernatural sound, I am still experimenting with it , there are so many options to change the sound I haven't quiet found my favourite yet. What I can say is the Piano is a dream to play.

The title of the piece is for someone, a name, its not about the Key or Eric Morecambe

Congratulations to everyone that took part , another fantastic recital though I must say we were a bit short on Jazz this time round.

In my notes I made reference to Eric Morcambe , unless you are from Britain you may not be familiar with him - if you want a laugh check this out. The clip features Andre Previn and Grieg's Piano Concerto (special arrangment). Eric is the one with the glasses.

37. Monica I'm usually not much of an Einaudi fan, but had a good experience listening to your video. You seem to have carefully and lovingly worked out the dynamic level for each note and voice. When someone plays music they really like it usually turns out nice. Thanks for sharing this with us.

39. Sandy Nice job on Mendelssohn, who always sounds very difficult to me. This piece seems aptly named and you really brought out its sadness.

40. Jake S Whenever I hear this Gnossienne I imagine myself lying around on pillows at a feast, maybe with a dancing harem in some exotic locale. I loved your phrasing and dynamic choices, and I'm amazed you have only been playing a year and a half. You are very musical.

41. Mr. Pozor Admire your relaxed hands and the resulting nice even soft bass notes. You kept the waltz feel throughout and kept that pretty melody singing on top. Great job.

42. CarlosCC It is easy to see why you were chosen in yourcompany music competition...you ooze talent. Your playing sounds so relaxed and at ease. And I love the way you give the music room to breathe, a very subtle skill. Really enjoyed listening.

43. Valencia Oh boy, another composer I'm not familiar with. You captured the fairy tale feel of this perfectly. Nice balance between the hands, especially when switching to the more choral sections. I'll be watching for more Bortkiewicz. Thanks for introducing me to him.

44. Ladypayne Very relaxing. And a very nice creative arrangement of this classic. Good job putting this together with the other instruments and sound effects.

45.Sand Tiger I liked your Avenue D, and tried to imagine myself on a busy city street.

46. joangolfing A delightful piece I'd never heard before. Sounds like the definitive work for improving trills in both hands. I particularly liked the way you executed the figures that had a right hand trill followed by a rapid cascade of descending notes. Very nice job on a difficult sounding challenge.

47. Mar_red This sounded like a movie or Broadway score. Great job on a difficult sounding arrangement. I am always amazed at folks with your skills that have gotten there without benefit of a teacher. Nice work.

48. Mile Hi Steve Your Joy was a joy to listen to. And the Steinway sounded terrific. Liked the way you kept it moving the whole time...played with a lot of energy.

After being away for almost a week, I must catch up on some thank yous!

Cheryl, aTallGuyNH (your comments really made my day!), Allard, Andy Platt, earlofmar, Mr. Super-Hunky(wow, such wonderful comments from you all!), peterws, CarlosCC, jotur, SamS, AimeeO, Peyton, Jim F. (I'm humbled by your wonderful words!)A special thank you to wouter - First prize to you for the time and effort you put into your insightful comments! You really spend the effort to afford us detailed critiques. All so much appreciated. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Riddler

33. CMohr - "You've Changed"

Well done, I didn't just enjoy listening to this, I became totally obsessed with it, specifically with the intro. Almost went out of my mind! There are a couple of short phrases in your intro that I know I have heard before, very long ago, and I just couldn't rest till I figured out where I had heard them. I spent some time searching, wracking my brain. To make a long story short, here is the answer to my quest: It turns out the the phrases I remember were played in a recording of a tune called Line for Lyons, by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, back in the 1960s. Have a listen:

Ed! OK, that was uncanny! I have to say that if I have heard that particular tune, I don't remember. You don't know how much in awe I am that you spent the time to figure it out! On a side note, my teacher commented that my intro reminded him a little of how Tommy Flanagan would sometimes hint at the melody of a tune in an intro. You may have been obsessed, but your efforts at finding the answer blew me away! Thank you for nice comments and especially the audio clip!

Wonderful recital everyone! Thanks immensely to all who submitted for sharing their playing. This music has made for great company the last week!

And thank you to all who listened to my piece and to those who commented!: Dynamobt, BenPiano, SwissMS, casinitaly, Monica K, CMohr, stumbler, Allard, Andy Platt, aTallGuyNH, CarlosCC, Sam S, AimeeO, peterws, and JimF. I *really* appreciate the feedback and encouragement and have copied your comments into a document to keep.

For those unfamiliar with Bortkiewicz, you can check out some of the past recital submissions as dannylux submitted a few lovely pieces by Bortkiewicz. Bortkiewicz also wrote a beautiful little piece called The Butterfly which is out of reach for me but others on this forum might be able to take it on at some point.

32. Allan W. - Wind Scene - Chrono TriggerAlan, that was absolutely awesome! Five stars!!! Terrific arrangement, played with real gusto. (BTW, I wholeheartedly concur with simplifying arrangements here and there when you need to, excellent strategy, I would never be able to play anything without it!! It's also a good way of learning how the elements of music fit together.) This blew me away.

47. Mar_red , Close Every Door Nice work from a lead sheet. Your piano has marvelous tone that you bring out in this piece.

51. Lady_Augustina , The North Sea I haven't heard this before. I'm impressed that you managed this in a work break. I would mess up terribly from the stress of the small recording window. I didn't notice the mistakes.

55. BenPiano, NefeliI've only heard a fraction of Einaudi's work. This one is very lyrical. You have it mastered.

42. CalosCC, Life ("Live from home" version) I'm impressed that you played this by ear and memory. Beautiful playing.

35. TrapperJohn, Medley: Drink With Me/Do You Hear The People Sing? (from Les Miserables) As I never saw the musical, I appreciate that you included the lyrics. They really add to the emotional impact of the songs. Will you eventually record the whole work?